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Truck theft suspect Milo Demetris Banks (booking photo at left) left truck operator Torrey Lang (right) clinging to the back of his rig during a chase down I-75 from Union City to Monroe County. At the conclusion of the chase, a state trooper was hit by friendly fire. (Booking photo courtesy of Atlanta Journal-Constitution and truck photo courtesy of Lamar sheriff Larry Waller)

Driver hangs on for dear life during high speed chase; trooper shot

Posted by
Walter Geiger
in Top Stories
Tuesday, April 28. 2009
Comments (34)
An Albany man is is custody after a chase from the Atlanta metro area through Lamar County that ended in Monroe County Tuesday afternoon. During the chase, the truck's operator clung to the back of his rig. When the chase ended, the suspect had to be forced from from the truck. During the chase, a state trooper based in Forsyth was inadvertently hit by friendly fire.

The trooper, identified as Tre Howard, was hit in the arm by two shotgun pellets as other officers fired at the truck's tires. Authorities at the scene said his bullet-proof vest likely saved his life as he was hit in the chest and wrist.

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#1 Anonymous on 04/28/09 at 07:08 PM
Horrifying.
#2 Anonymous on 04/28/09 at 08:06 PM
What a ride that must have been for that poor man who is hanging on for dear life.
#3 Melanie Maynard on 04/28/09 at 08:49 PM
Great work on behalf of all the Law Enforcement involved, but I'm especially proud of my husband, GSP 356 Mike Maynard for his contribution in getting this person where he needs to be...BEHIND BARS! Thanks the Lord the owner and Trooper Tre Howard will be o.k.!
#4 Anonymous on 04/28/09 at 09:10 PM
Unbelieveable
#5 L.T. on 04/28/09 at 09:24 PM
i'm all for protecting your property. i am proud to exercise my 2nd amendment rights , but that truck driver was pretty stupid for hopping that ride!!! i believe i would have bailed as soon as that truck was pointed towards the interstate.
#6 cats on 04/29/09 at 06:48 AM
Banks isn't from the Rudy School of Truck Taking, is he?
Rudy says, "Get the ones with the trailer attached, man!"
I'm glad the truck driver made it out OK and hope US Express shakes his hand for sticking with his rig, at the risk of his life.
Get well Trooper Howard!
#7 anonymous on 04/29/09 at 07:38 AM
Please extend a thank you to your husband for making sure we are all safe!! (prayers to the trooper who was slightly injured)
#8 anonymous on 04/29/09 at 07:49 AM
I read this guy previously served years for something similiar (imagine that). I hope they put this THUG away for a long time, thankfully, he did not kill anyone (although I am sure that was the last thing on his mind). These thugs better be aware that people are tired of this stuff and are standing up - Note to thugs: you never know who is going to be in that car or standing behind that door with a glock waiting to charge you, try you, sentence you and put you away for ever! One more thing - when you see blue lights in your rear view mirror - get out of the way!!! I saw pictures of people right in the middle of that chase - Oh, look Harry, it's the police - DUH!
#9 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 07:54 AM
You don't know what you would have done when in a panic. You also don't know if he even had a chance to hop off safely. Those rear tires are big and exposed, and there aren't but two places to dismount safely when stopped....none when it is rolling.
#10 J on 04/29/09 at 08:00 AM
He had dredlocks!
#11 Andy on 04/29/09 at 08:35 AM
I'm glad this incident ended well but I have to ask, Why in the he** were there shots fired? The suspect was not jeopardizing anyone's life he was only trying to get away. There are reports that shots were fired by Butts & Monroe deputys at the tires. Was the driver (Mr Lang) on the back of the truck at the time of the shooting? There was absolutely no justification for the use of deadly force in this situation. There were too many innocent people too close to the action for shots to have been fired. And to have struck a fellow officer??? I think that the deputies involved should be severely disiplined.
#12 anonymous on 04/29/09 at 09:21 AM
A typical liberal response - I was waiting to see what idiot posted this -
NOT jeopardizing anyone's life - are you kidding me???????????? Life #1 - the owner of the truck; Life #2 - the citizens on the roads; Life #3 - the officers in the chase - I can go on if you want - are you a complete idiot? They had to stop this criminal before he killed innocent people. So, yes there absolutely was justification for shooting out the tires. It was an unpredictable accident that the trooper was hit - they know these things could happen but they jeopardize their safety to protect us from thugs like this guy - get a life I am so pissed off right now I am logging off GEEZ!
#13 anonymous on 04/29/09 at 09:25 AM
that's a great idea let's discipline the officers involved in stopping this insane freeloader!
#14 RT on 04/29/09 at 09:31 AM
I am really glad this man was not hurt but my goodness why get on the truck anyway. WOW
#15 Sheila Tolley on 04/29/09 at 10:11 AM
He don't look real safe rolling down the road holding on either. I am with L.T. on this one.
#16 L.T. on 04/29/09 at 12:03 PM
JUST A NOTE TO THIEVES: there are few things i hate in life worse that a thief. i dispise someone who thinks they can just take something from someone. when "I" spend "my" money on something that "I" worked for , it's "mine". not some no working, government sucking , meth head redneck, no child support paying babies daddy, crack smoking or selling thug. it does not matter to me what color you are, if it's yours it's yours, if it's not ,it's not. that's why i'm a gun owner. if you want to take something from me , i have plenty of ammo that i can send your way.

too bad the cop was a bad shot.... call the SEALs next time!!!!
#17 anonymous on 04/29/09 at 12:47 PM
I love it!! Stand up Americans - say enough is enough!! You come to take something from me I worked hard for - bad day!! They will carry you away in a body bag - that is my change you can believe in!
#18 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 12:56 PM
L.T. is stupid. Do not call the SEALs.
#19 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 01:54 PM
I was listening to the Monroe Sheriffs Office radio traffic at the time. The driver did have a gun and was pointing it at the troopers. Throughout the whole chase you could hear state patrol saying he was armed.
#20 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 01:57 PM
Well, y'all let the government do it to you all the time.
#21 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 01:57 PM
just look at that clown-every maggot you see that looks like that is a criminal.
#22 L.T. on 04/29/09 at 02:09 PM
that was a little something called sarcasm , my friend.... LOOK!!! the sky is falling....hint, hint...don't take things literally. i do wish that cop was a better aim... and that's the truth {not sarcasm}
#23 H B on 04/29/09 at 04:11 PM
shame the thief didnt get in the cross fire. Then it would be case closed
#24 Trouble on 04/29/09 at 05:42 PM
Too bad you werent on that truck
#25 Yo Mamma on 04/29/09 at 08:26 PM
trucker was pretty stupid to get on the back of it.... if it were my truck and someone stole it... o well that's what insurance is for.... if the moron left the keys in the truck... then he deserves to be flipped on asphalt... and a swift kick to the groin
#26 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 10:33 PM
Hero!!! Georgia State Patrol, Butts County Sheriffs, Fulton County Sheriffs, Union City Police, Monroe County Sheriffs, Barnesville/Lamar County Fire Dept. and Monroe County Ambulance.
#27 Anonymous on 04/29/09 at 11:09 PM
Georgia Race for Governor 2010

Republicans-
Casey Cagle 46%
Karen Handel 45%
Eric Johnson 41%
Ray McBerry 39%
John Ozendine 38%
Austin Scott 38%


Democrats-
Thurbert Baker 30%
Roy Barnes 9%
DuBose Porter 29%
David Poythress 19%
???? 40%


Libertarian-
John Monds 2%
#28 Anonymous on 04/30/09 at 06:27 AM
rudy had to steal trucks and other things because nobody would eat that nasty slop he called bar-b-q
#29 anonymous on 04/30/09 at 09:41 AM
Please post accurate information you mooron! Casey Cagle is no longer in the race!! Besides, this is not the place to post that you idiot
#30 L.T. on 04/30/09 at 10:49 AM
i have to agree that #16 is an idiot. he/she is just trying to show off their copy and paste skills. i'm impressed....
#31 cats on 05/01/09 at 03:20 PM
It's my understanding that it takes a long time for these rigs to be started up and then go "on line" to be ready to be driven. If the driver was stopping to run in to pay his cell phone bill, for instance, he wouldn't want to turn off the truck.
It also takes a certain skill set to drive a bobtail, so I'm sure the driver thought nobody would be STUPID enough to steal his rig.
Anyway, another lowlife gets locked up in jail.
#32 A'SHIRLEY on 05/01/09 at 06:51 PM
Amen!!!!!!!
#33 Sheila Tolley on 05/02/09 at 09:42 AM
Dear Milo Demetris Banks,
You are a maggot to society. I would not have left a vehicle running with the key in the ignition. But the reason I would not have is because of years of exposure to scum bags like you.
#34 lucille johnson on 05/03/09 at 05:01 PM
ok why would we worry about if the guy had dreads or not? we all know he was black, but OUR MAIN concern is that nobody died! This was not an color issue here and i'm a driver myself and it was not easy for that driver to jump off the back of that tractor once it started moving STUPID!!! If you've never in your life driven a truck b4 u need 2 shut the hell up!!!!CASE CLOSED!!!!
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